Snapshot Life
by Terra Oceanus
Summary: They live in a crappy apartment and have jobs they don't really care for, but they have each other. Thats all that matters to them. (only a small amount of 'mature' content)


Love is,  
Don't quote me on this  
For I'm not really sure  
But I think,  
Isn't love  
That nice  
Wonderful  
Bubbly  
Smiling  
Sunshine feeling  
You get  
Just by seeing a text?  
Nothing else matters  
Because you have  
Each other.  
Yea,  
You have problems.  
There's bills to pay,  
Fights to work through  
But it's worth it  
Isn't it?  
Love is,  
Remember don't quote me,  
Feeling as if  
The sun rises for you  
And the stars shine for him  
And life,  
While hectic  
Confusing  
Hard  
Is wonderful?  
Love is noticing  
The faults and flaws  
And getting past that.  
Love is not  
seeing each other  
Daily  
And it still beat strong.  
Love is communication  
Love is believing  
Love is.. Nice.

DAMN BITCH GET THE FUCK UP! Arthur groans and reaches over his boyfriends bare chest to grab Alfred's phone and click off the alarm. Chuckling Alfred grabs Arthur and kisses his jawline. "I really wish you would change that ringtone" Arthur says snaking his arms around Alfred's neck. "I know.. But if I did, would I get to wake up every morning like this?" He says smiling into Arthur's bright green eyes. Arthur rolls his eyes and kisses Alfred firmly on the lips before slipping out of his arms and pulling on boxers. "Come on. We need to get ready." Alfred sits up quickly with a smile. "Can we-" "no we can not have sex in the shower, it made you late for work yesterday" Alfred sighs and flops back down into the faded blue pillows. "Come on. Out of bed." Arthur leans down and shakes Alfred. "Nooooo" Alfred whines. Arthur leans down and kisses Alfred making him sit up and follow the kiss all the way out of bed. Smiling Arthur breaks away from the kiss. "Now, make me breakfast while I shower." Alfred groans. "That was a jerk move!" Arthur chuckles and closes the curtain that separated the bedroom from the only bathroom. Alfred pouts before grinning and wrapping their sheet over his waist and padding to the kitchen. Opening the dingy fridge he frowns. An egg and jam.. Not much there for the both of them.. Arthur didn't have to know that he didn't eat.. Smiling he sets about making a sunny side up egg. As he puts the egg on a plate he feels Arthur slide his arms around Alfred's waist. "Still not dressed?" He asks kissing the place between Alfred's shoulder blades. Alfred turns around smiling. "Well, I had to eat then get your food done!" Arthur rolls his eyes and pulls away to eat standing up. "We really should get a table eventually" Alfred muses leaning against the countertop. Arthur eyes Alfred's hipbone that was showing as the sheet began to slip farther and farther down Alfred's waist. "We don't have room Al, we live in a crappy apartment where the neighbours fight all day and night, there's a bathroom but no door to it and a creaky bed you've fixed with duct tape twice. There's no way we can fit a table in this kitchen. Nor could we really afford one with my job at the library and yours at school." Alfred laughs crossing his arms over his chest. "I guess you're right as usual. I hope.. One day to get you something better you know? Maybe a cottage like you had back in England.." Arthur smiles wryly. "You say this every time I say something intelligent.." Alfred shrugs and smiles slightly. Arthur walks over to Alfred. "Come on, don't pout.." Alfred smirks slightly and runs his fingers through Arthur's hair. "Then cheer me up" Arthur rolls his eyes and sinks to his knees, his fingers curling around the thin sheet that wasn't doing a good job hiding his excitement of having Arthur so close to him.

Alfred visibly trembles in anticipation of Arthur's actions, his eyes glued to Arthur's face not even bothering to hide his lust and want. Arthur closes his mouth around Alfred's erection, his tongue swirling around the tip. Alfred smiles and curls his toes as Arthur licks from the base back to the tip. Throwing his head back, eyes closed tightly he gasps as Arthur began to take more of Alfred into his mouth sucking hard and quickly with deft movements of his head. He moans slightly and pushes Arthur's head down slightly. "No no no Arthur stop- ah..." Arthur looks up to see Alfred biting his lip, eyes closed tight and cheeks flushed. Arthur smiles and hums slightly, the vibration tipping Alfred over the edge. Arthur winces as Alfred grips his hair tighter. Arthur wipes His mouth after he swallows the warm liquid that filled his mouth. Arthur stands and smiles a little, cheeks slightly red. "Ok.. You are really, Really, good at cheering me up.. " alfred chuckles. "Good.. Now go get dressed.. " Arthur says. Groaning Alfred quickly dresses in a suit and tie and kisses Arthur's cheek. "I'll see you later ok?" Arthur nods finishing the rest of his coffee and handing Alfred's his in his to go cup. "And Alfred? Next time, don't lie to me about whether you've eaten or not. Ok?" He raises an eyebrow and Alfred looks down ashamed then grin. "Sure thing! Just wanted to make sure you could make it through the day. You tend to get grumpy without food!" Arthur kisses Alfred and as he goes to pull away, Alfred pulls him in again and deepens the kiss. Arthur smiles breathlessly and stares into Alfred's bright blue eyes. "What was all that about?" Alfred laughs and kisses Arthur again. "It's just, little snapshots like these are what make life you know? We live in a shitty house with one bedroom, one bathroom and a kitchen that never has food in it. We have to walk three blocks to do laundry and neither of is have a car! We always have five leaks when it rains, no matter what holes we patch, the water in the bathroom sink has turned brown and our neighbours have louder sex than us and that's saying something." Arthur shakes his head brows furrowed, confused. "What's that got to do with a kiss?" Alfred smiles at him and Arthur feels his cheeks heating up. "All this and we love each other still?" Arthur rolls his eyes and laughs. "No no I'm serious! And.. Um.. I've been thinking.. Seriously.. Let's move? To England. You know.. They approved marriage.." Alfred looks down as he's talking and at first Arthur has no idea what he's getting at and then it hits him. "Alfred..? Are you..?" Alfred quickly gets on one knee. "Look. Things are bad. But after five years of being together and seeing your smile makes my heart beat fast, I want to be the one to see your bed head every morning, to tell you your body is perfect no matter what shape it's in, live in a snapshot life where our lives can be looked back on and seen with happiness. I know, there's going to be snapshots of fights and broken dishes when you throw them at me, but it's still love. And.. I want to be the one you love forever. So, Arthur Kirkland? Will you marry me?"

Arthur blinks rapidly as Alfred pulls out a simple golden band from his pocket. Alfred looks down bright red, "I uh.. Had the evening planned out and was going to ask you later but I uh.. I just saw you standing there as you always do, the sun blindingly bright and I couldn't help myself.. You just looked so bea-" Alfred's mumbled words are cut off as Arthur throws his arms around Alfred's neck and kisses him. "Yes I'll marry you!" Alfred starts laughing and tears well up in his eyes as he peppers Arthur's face with kisses. "Oh! Oh oh!' Look at the time! I have to go! Tonight! Tonight we will have all that I planed!" He kisses Arthur swiftly, and leaves Arthur breathless. Standing there in his little sweater vest and messy hair, Arthur couldn't remember the last time he had been this happy. Later walking around the library shelving books, he did. With a smile he leans up against a shelf, "ah.. I remember now.. It was the first time he asked me out. That was the first time I had felt so breathless, so fluttery, so happy.." Alfred was thinking about that too as he graded students work. He had been in a panic, full on freaking out because the movie he had planned to put on for his class had been stolen. Now he was trying to find a replacement before class started and running all over the library fit into that agenda perfectly. However tripping over his own shoes was not in the agenda. Sighing he dusts off his pants and looks up to see a blurry man holding out his glasses. Putting them on he gasps. "H-hello...!" Before Alfred stood the most beautiful man he had ever seen. The man had delicate features, shaggy blonde hair to hide said features and the most gorgeous green eyes he had ever seen. Under the heavy bangs lay two thick eyebrows and blushing cheeks. "Are you ok?" The man asks, his English accent thick. "Yes, thank you omigosh please tell me you don't have a girlfriend" the man blushes further and shakes his head. "Boyfriend?" Another shake. "Then go out with me!" Alfred is practically in his face, hands on his shoulders. "You don't know my name nor me yours..." Alfred gasps and quickly steps back, hand held out. "Alfred f jones!" The man takes Alfred's hand with a smile "Arthur Kirkland." Alfred grins. "Tonight at um... You pick time and place" after a silence Arthur nods. "The little cafe on the corner of main and Louisiana street. 8 " Alfred thinks momentarily. "Sufficient Grounds?" Arthur nods. With a grin Alfred says "I'll see you there!" And with that he looks at his watch and gasps. "I'm gonna be late!" And waves goodbye.

Needless to say, the date went wonderfully and they started seeing each other at lunches, more dates and eventually moving in together after a year and a half of dating. They had had rocky times, parents who didn't support them and falling outs with friends and a few break ups but it made them stronger in the end. The date that night went wonderfully too, Al took them to the cafe that their first date was. They talked a lot about moving and setting money aside and when they got back to the apartment, Arthur showed Al how happy he was.

After having sex, Alfred lays with Arthur's head on his chest humming. "What's it called..?" Arthur says sleepily. "It sounds so happy.." Alfred doesn't answer for a moment. "Somewhere over the rainbow.." Arthur looks up, eyes wondering Alfred's face. "Why do you sound so sad when you say it?" Alfred sighs and looks up. "My mom hummed it a lot. She hummed it when she was happiest." Arthur sits up to look Alfred face to face more easily. "Tell me the rest..?"  
"One day she stopped humming it. Just.. Stopped. Stopped humming, stopped singing and dancing with me, stopped smiling. She commutes suicide a week later. I was 11 at the time and a month later my father was introducing my new mother and brother. My mom had heard of the affair and couldn't bare it.. I love my brother don't get me wrong but.. " Arthur nods, already knowing that Alfred's real mother had died, just never knowing why. "I'm sorry.." He says snuggling back up to Al. "It's ok.. I hum to preserve her memory I guess.." Alfred falls asleep shortly after but now Arthur's head is buzzing with thoughts. Alfred was such a complex person... Most people just saw a happy man with a 'hero' grin as he liked to call it, but there was so much more.. Alfred was a man who.. Who loved adventure, watched Disney movies and knew all the words to the songs. He cried through les miserables and sang epinines song for weeks at Arthur till he finally had to tickle him to make him stop. Who sang "I can't wait to be king" at a school play and sometimes still hummed it. This was a man who hated cooking, but was amazing at it, who knew all the ways to make Arthur feel better and was mature and smart in every way except he was a five year old trapped in a twenty-eight year olds body.  
Arthur knew Alfred was broken. It was obvious to anyone if you looked hard enough. The way his smiles seemed to kind to match the sadness in his eyes, the way he would panic if you were gone to long, the way he always always gave people the benefit of the doubt and tried to find the good in everyone. He was scarred emotionally and physically. Tracing a finger over one of the many cuts on Alfred's wrist, Arthur wondered of Alfred was truly happy. He didn't want to fix Alfred. He wanted him happy, because he loved him. Arthur wanted to move away from the city, the confining city that imprisoned Alfred beneath the gray. Alfred had this thing he did where if he was upset, he wouldn't rant. He didn't understand the point of it. So he wrote what he called "scribbles" and instead they were thoughtful, sad, scary at times and sometimes spot on truthful. He would find them all over the house; bathroom, cupboards, under pillows and even once the fridge. About three weeks ago Arthur had found one entitled "Gray". He sighs and snuggles closer to Alfred who just hugged him tighter, making him feel safe. Arthur could close his eyes, see the small scrap of paper, it's smudged words heavy with depression.

Beneath the grey skies  
And under the towering skyscrapers  
There lies little hope.  
Behind the people,  
Behind the cars,  
Even behind all the money  
Lies despair.  
As they walk,  
Fingers numb  
And cheeks red  
Not a single one  
Smiles

Arthur bites his lip. He had wanted to bring it up to Al, but he got touchy whenever you brought up personal things like that to him. For such a childish adult, he had such a serious and critical outlook on life not pertaining to them. But for some reason, some unknown reason, Arthur loved him with every fiber of his being. Smiling, Arthur could feel himself falling asleep slowly. Just as darkness began to close in, there was a sound. Arthur's eyes flew open. What was that..? A click, quiet and sharp in the night. The window? Sitting up slowly, Arthur shakes Alfred awake. Holding a finger to his lips he points to the kitchen. Alfred nods and slips out of bed quiet as a mouse. They both tiptoe to the kitchen, Alfred stumbling and falling behind Arthur. Once in the kitchen Arthur gasps. "Who are you?!" He shouts in surprise. There was a man, a bag in one hand and a gun in the other. The bag drops to the floor and he turns slowly. "I-I'm sorry.. I just need the money.. Here, keep it ok? I'll go!" He stammers out. "No! I'm calling the cops!" Arthur snaps. Alfred jumps forward "no! Let's just let it go ok? He's not harming us and he's not taking it!" Arthur glares. "He would have stolen are stuff" Alfred shrugs. "That means he needs it more.." Arthur turns back to the man who is sweating and looking rather sick. "Ok.. You can g-" there's a sudden knock on the door. "Is everything ok? I heard shouting!" Shouts a woman on the other side of the door. The man gasps at the sound and the gun goes off accidentally. The sound that follows, for an eternity it seems, is silence. Then a small ragged breath and a quiet "Arthur..?" Arthur turns around slowly, the dim moonlight outlining Alfred's silhouette. The man steps forward once before whispering "I'm so sorry.. It was only.. Oh god.." And turning to flee past the woman and into the night. They would never catch the man, and at the moment Arthur didn't care about that and nor would he ever. The only thing he cared about was the few seconds it took to to cross the room and catch Alfred's heavy body as it fell to the floor, his blood soaked chest gasping heavily for breath as the bullet and blood filled his lungs. Alfred reaches up to touch Arthur's face, smearing blood on his cheek. "Don't cry, it's ok, no no, come on, it's ok." Alfred says as Arthur's tears stream down his face. Arthur knows, just as Alfred does. There is no hope. There is no coming back from this or getting getter. It wasn't ok. "Hey.." Arthur looks into Alfred's eyes which have began to dull. "Yes Alfred?" He says sniffling. In that moment a million things ran through Alfred's head. He knew there was only time to say one thing and he wanted it to mean something. "Don't you fret.. Misour Kirkland.. I don't feel any pain" Alfred smiles, the smile Arthur had grown to love and hate: the bullshit smile. "Ok. I gotta admit, even for me those would be horrible last words for me. I'm sorry" he gasps suddenly then quiets before continuing. "I'm sorry I ruined the best night ever.. Always did have a talent for fucking shit up right? I uh.. I always thought you were most special Arthur. The most special star in the sky.." Alfred cuts off and coughs and coughs and breaths in one last time before closing his eyes and saying "I will always love you..."

When the funeral was held, more people than Arthur ever knew existed showed up. Arthur looked around as people went up to touch the casket, each one murmuring and crying. At the end of the day Arthur goes home, the place he and Alfred hated but loved because it was their own. It was a shitty place, but they had each other and Alfred had this way.. This way of not letting anyone see the bad in anything. Only the good, always the good. And looking around now, Arthur realised there would never be anything good in life again. Sitting on the bed they had shared for years Arthur takes a shuddering breath. He had never known that Alfred had touched so many lives, had saved so many people each in his own way. Tears find their way down his cheeks and soon he's sobbing. Of course he would sing that damned song as he died. Of course he wouldn't finish it and would tell him with his dying breath he loved him. That was what made Alfred Alfred and oh how he missed him. Alfred was.. The only good that Arthur had ever known.

Arthur moved out of the small apartment a few weeks later, but as far as anyone knows he never got another place. Some people think he committed suicide to join Alfred, some think he went back to England. Others say that he went to the small village where they had planned to move and once there, found a small boy in the woods. Arthur raised the boy on his own, loving for him and protecting him till the end of his days. He taught the boy every Disney song possible, sang "somewhere over the rainbow" every time he was happy, and loved the boy with every inch of his heart. Arthur proudly watched the boy grow and marry a beautiful woman and called the boy his son. When Arthur found the boy, the boy had no memory of family or a home. He only had one thing and that was his name. His name was Alfred.


End file.
